A’s minor league manager on ventilator due to coronavirus

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Oakland Athletics minor league manager Webster Garrison is hospitalized in Louisiana and on a ventilator with the coronavirus, according to his fiance.

Nikki Trudeaux posted her latest update late Tuesday night on social media. She said the 54-year-old former major leaguer still required a ventilator to fight COVID-19 and said Garrison “is turning the corner” in his battle.

“Web was 100% dependent on the ventilator yesterday morning, 80% this morning and now 60% tonight,” she wrote on Twitter. “His respiratory blood work came back really good, too!! He’s coming back to us y’all. … Keep praying.”

Trudeaux has been asking for nightly prayers with the hash tag “WebbyStrong.”

The A’s said Tuesday there were no updates on a minor league staffer — they have not identified him — and said there have not been other positive tests within the organization.

Oakland released a a statement during the weekend that “a minor league staff member has tested positive for COVID-19 and is under hospital care.”

“We want to extend our sincerest thoughts and prayers to our colleague for a speedy recovery,” the team said. “We are committed to providing him and his family with support and care. Every person on our team plays a critical role to our success and we look forward to his return to the field when he is healthy.”

Garrison managed the Class A Stockton Ports last season and was expected to manage in the Arizona Fall League this year. He played five games for the A’s in 1996, never getting a hit in 10 plate appearances while drawing one walk. He is from Marrero, Louisiana.

Trudeaux described in her posts the heartbreak of being helpless through this. She said she also tested positive for COVID-19.

“This man, my fiancé, Webster Garrison, the love of my life, is on a ventilator in the hospital, fighting for his life, and I can’t even be at his side!” Trudeaux said.

On Monday, she tweeted: “He is not getting worse! He is fighting hard and making small milestones.” she wrote on Twitter.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. Older adults and people with existing health problems can experience severe illness, including pneumonia and death.